The Strep-EURO project (http://www.strep-euro.lu.se/) collects data on severe group A streptococcal (GAS) disease in Europe. It was launched in September 2002 to improve understanding of severe GAS disease in Europe so that an integrated picture of these infections can be achieved and consists of over 50 members from 11 European countries. We briefly summarise below progress on the project to date, including some preliminary results from the participating countries: Germany, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Romania, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

Several European countries reported outbreaks of severe disease caused by Streptococcus pyogenes in the late 1980s. This marked a departure from the previous decades, where very few such outbreaks were noted. These changes in disease occurrence formed part of a global phenomenon, the reasons for which have yet to be explained. Results of surveillance activities for invasive S. pyogenes infection within Europe over the past fifteen years identified further increases in many countries. However, variations in surveillance methods between countries preclude robust comparisons being made, illustrating the need for a unified surveillance strategy across Europe. This was finally embodied in the Strep-EURO programme, introduced in 2002.